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| Elwood works with youth in garden |
Baton Rouge, LA -
Every Tuesday and Thursday, the SU Ag Center holds the Jetson (JCCY) Garden
Trade class at the JCCY facility in Baker, LA. On Tuesdays, an average of 17
incarcerated boys, ages 12-18 gather to hear a guest speaker from the Southern
University Agricultural Research and Extension Center emphasize the importance of knowing how to grow food,
explaining the doors of opportunity that open up when individuals learn how to
grow their own food. The speaker also describes the important role that African
Americans play in the progression of modern agriculture, and shares life skills
associated with gardening, proper communication, healthy eating, and family
life. On Thursdays, Extension Associate
Stephanie Elwood, Project Director Christie Gremillion-Monroe and program
participants spend time in the Jetson 800-square foot garden, planting,
watering, weeding, harvesting and overall maintaining the health of the garden.
Recently, Kasundra
Cyrus, specialist, family and consumer sciences, and Monroe received a USDA/NIFA
grant to enhance the Ag Science class taught at Jetson Correctional Facility, and
are implementing the program. Currently, the garden is blooming with mustard
greens, turnips, collards, cabbage, radish, carrots and beets. The garden saves
the JCCY cafeteria money and provides fresh, healthy, local produce to the
incarcerated boys, as well as a sense of pride knowing that they grow the food
themselves.
The
youth that participate in the Garden Trade program receive a certificate of
achievement through the Southern University Ag Center. This certificate serves as
supporting document when successful participants attend their court dates, and
when released from JCCY to seek employment.
For additional information, contact Christie Monroe at 225-771-4350.
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Contact:
Bridget Udoh
(225) 771-5714
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